SCENE I
A forest with a half-ruined castle in the background,
seen through the trees by moonlight. Franko and
several Outlaws are discovered sitting on the ground,
round a fire, with flagons, &c. by them, as if they
had been drinking.
Song of several voices.
The chough and crow to roost are gone,
The owl sits on the tree,
The hush'd wind wails with feeble moan,
Like infant charity.
The wild-fire dances on the fen,
The red star sheds its ray,
Uprouse ye, then, my merry men!
It is our op'ning day.
Both child and nurse are fast asleep,
And clos'd is every flower,
And winking tapers faintly peep
High from my lady's bower;
Bewilder'd hinds with shorten'd ken
Shrink on their murky way,
Uprouse, ye, then, my merry men!
It is our op'ning day.
Nor board nor garner own we now,
Nor roof nor latched door,
Nor kind mate, bound by holy vow
To bless a good man's store;
Noon lulls us in a gloomy den,
And night is grown our day,
Uprouse ye, then, my merry men!
And use it as ye may.
Franko
(
to 1
st out.).
How lik'st thou this, Fernando?
1st out.
Well sung i' faith! but serving ill our turn,
Who would all trav'llers and benighted folks
Scare from our precincts. Such sweet harmony
Will rather tempt invasion.
Franko.
Fear not, for mingled voices, heard afar,
Through glade and glen and thicket, stealing on
To distant list'ners, seem wild-goblin-sounds;
At which the lonely trav'ller checks his steed,
Pausing with long-drawn breath and keen-turn'd ear,
And twilight pilferers cast down in haste
Their ill-got burthens, while the homeward hind
Turns from his path, full many a mile about,
Through bog and mire to grope his blund'ring way.
Such, to the startled ear of superstition,
Were seraph's song, could we like seraphs sing.
Enter 2
d outlaw, hastily.
2d out.
Disperse ye diff'rent ways: we are undone.
Franko.
How sayst thou, shrinking poltroon? we undone!
Outlaw'd and ruin'd men, who live by daring!
2d out.
A train of armed men, some noble dame
Escorting (so their scatter'd words discover'd
As, unperceiv'd, I hung upon their rear),
Are close at hand, and mean to pass the night
Within the castle.
Franko.
Some benighted travellers,
Bold from their numbers, or who ne'er have heard
The ghostly legend of this dreaded place.
1 out.
Let us keep close within our vaulted haunts;
The way to which is tangled and perplex'd,
And cannot be discover'd: with the morn
They will depart.
Franko.
Nay, by the holy mass! within those walls
Not for a night must trav'llers quietly rest,
Or few or many. Would we live securely,
We must uphold the terrors of the place:
Therefore, let us prepare our midnight rouse.
See, from the windows of the castle gleam
[
Lights seen from the castle.
Quick passing lights, as though they moved within
In hurried preparation; and that bell,
[
Bell heard.
Which from yon turret its shrill 'larum sends,
Betokens some unwonted stir. Come, hearts!
Be all prepared, before the midnight watch,
The fiend-like din of our infernal chace
Around the walls to raise.—Come; night advances.
[
Exeunt.
